Review mirrored from http://www.louisvillescene.com/music/96rev/0106knop.htm The Courier-Journal, Kentucky's largest newspaper, is read daily by more than 528,000 adults in Kentucky and Southern Indiana and by more than 723,000 adults on Sunday. (Source: Louisville Market Study, Urban & Associates, 1996) and has won nine Pulitzer Prizes for excellence in journalism. Tune In "SMALL MERCIES" David Knopfler (Mesa/Bluemoon) By Bob Bahr © The Courier-Journal Reviewed Jan. 6, 1996 It's been David Knopfler's fate to be relegated to the status of a footnote in rock 'n' roll history -- he's the rhythm guitarist who left Dire Straits to the devices of brother Mark after recording two albums. But while Dire Straits has increasingly become a mainstream band with little new to say, David Knopfler has emerged from his brother's shadow as a writer, singer and player of considerable talent. On "Small Mercies," his seventh solo release, Knopfler penned the lyrics to all 14 songs and wrote or co-wrote all the music. Songs of substance, they use words not simply to create a catchy title or flesh out a stale rhyme, but to poke and prod at the heart of the matter at hand. What's surprising is that, on an album nearly an hour long, there's not a minute of wasted space. The songs are as rich musically as they are lyrically. Knopfler is an extraordinary musician with a keen instinct for melody, singing in a more robust version of his brother's voice while playing piano, guitar, vibes, harmonica and strings. Whether it's the wistful nostalgia of "Deptford Days" or "I Remember It All," the folk flavor of "A Woman" and "Weeping in the Wings," or the mercurial groove of "A Little Sun (Has Gotta Shine)" and "Rockin' Horse Love," craftsmanship and care can be heard in every turn of a phrase. Think of Richard Thompson or J.J. Cale and you're headed in the right direction. Near the center of it all is "The Slow-Mo King," a delicate, piano-driven ballad whose power lies in the controlled fury of the lyrics, an oddly frightening take on where the video age is pushing us. It's the crown jewel in an album overflowing with treasures whose delights only shine more brightly with every listen.